T.O.N.Y. Awards - Community College of Allegheny County

ALLEGHENY VIEW
5
SUMMER-1 2011
Students travel to
Harrisburg for Lobby
By PENNDAWT CARNEAL
View Writer and
Board of Publications
CAMPUS NEWS:
As a part of the Allegheny View paper,
I was invited by Student Life and
the President of CCAC-Allegheny to
attend the Lobby in Harrisburg. One
reason I was interested in the trip was
because it’s a political move that affects
one big element to the country,
education, which is a gateway to developing
a nation’s prosperity for the
future. The same speech presented
by the speakers at the press conference
was the same thing I’d always
believe.
Those who are interested in educating
themselves should be able to do so easily
– those in college are the next leaders
of media, Wall Street, Education, the
Medical Field, and beyond. The idea
of our current educational leaders and
legislators is to provide the resources to
better education, so we can be the productive
leaders of society for the future.
The trip was a good chance to see
how politics really works – in the front
of the scenes, rather than what you’d
see on the news. Other participants
include the Pharmacists of America
and Pharmacy research student from
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It was
also good to meet other students from
the other three campuses CCAC has –
Boyce, North, & South. In addition, I
have one small inside joke I observed
while seeing lobbyists in the cafeteria.
They were all using their PDA’s and
Blackberry’s while talking, and using
their IPads to talk as well. They were
like us at CCAC in the Cougar’s Den
or the Cafeteria in the Student Services
building, only rather than using cell
phones and laptops, they were using
the most updated, most expensive toys
available on the market.
Students from Allegheny Campus traveled to Harrisburg to lobby against proposed
legislation that will cut funding for community colleges.
CCAC students gather in front of the Pennsylvania State Capital structure in
Harrisburg.
By TIFFANY C. DUBOIS
View Writer and
Board of Publication
CAMPUS NEWS:
During the week of April 4-5, 2011,
I had the honor and pleasure of going
to Harrisburg to lobby for increased
funding for community colleges. Accompanying
me were administrators,
students, and concerned parties of education
reform. My experience of this
was amazing even though this is not the
first time that I have gone lobbying for
something. Back in 2006, I was in Harrisburg
for the unveiling of the renovated
rotunda. It was fun then, too.
Anyway, to fast forward to 2011, we
all had an amazing time in Harrisburg.
I went out and had dinner with Christopher
Scott, Candy Sanchez, and two new
friends. The morning of April 5, 2011 I
woke bright and early for breakfast at
the Comfort Inn. Following breakfast I
got the honor and distinction of recording
my meeting with Senator Orie’s
representative Nathan Silcox in the
rotunda following a press conference.
Along with me for that meeting was,
Dr. Alex Johnson, our college president,
Joy Le Viere Phi Theta Kappa’s
former VP of Public Relations and Secretary,
Sylvester Beerman, and various
administrators and other students. Following
that meeting we all dropped by
several offices and had lunch as well.
Also, my questions were answered,
and everyone had something to say.
We all mentioned that without our
Pell grants, or support of family, friends,
and organizations, none of us would be
able to go to college.
Dr. Johnson spent part of the meeting
going over how important funding
to community colleges was, especially
since with Governor Corbett’s tax cuts,
10% of community college funding
was being cut. And over 10% to state
schools and universities will have their
budgets cut.
Overall, I had an amazing time. I got
to look into a meeting room that looked
like the meeting room in Congress.
I ate ice-cream with another student
representing CCAC, a Mr. James
O’Hanlon of Boyce Campus. I got to
have debates with influential people. It
was amazing!
I would recommend that anyone try to
broaden their college experience with
trips to various places with your college.
To close, I am quoting once again
Eleanor Roosevelt’s “believe in the
beauty of your dreams.”
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